I argued long and hard but in the end I agreed to go with Toni to Killer's "lab". I did manage to convince him to give me a few days to extricate myself from my responsibilities at school and work. I was told to plan on staying at the lab for about a week.
I would make 5,000 credits!
I never would have agreed to any of it if I felt Killer was doing this just for his own benefit. I had a great deal of trepidation concerning Killer's motives. His reputation was so tarnished. I mean most people I knew who also knew Killer respected him but the way he made his money was so bad. He had a gang, he made and sold untaxed pills, and booze, he was supposedly running an illegal lottery, he managed all the local pimps and ther prostitutes. He was into everything. He had several legal operations like a trucking outfit, a paper mill, and even a legal distillery (probably as fronts for the illegal ones).
Mike told me when I came into work that night that if I wanted I could take off and come back whenever I wanted. Evidently Killer had given him the word to let me have some time off. I assured Mike that it would be a few days before I would need any time. I knew he would be left short if I wasn't there. The school would also be short handed. Whatever Killer's document had in it had better be worth something.
I got off work and neither Dick nor Ralph was there to walk me home. What the hey, I was a big girl--besides I could run fast. When I got home I didn't get much sleep again. Dick and Toni were making noises all night. The next day at school I worked things out where I could get the time off that I would need.
When I returned home Toni was there--with Killer. They wanted to talk some more. I convinced them again that I would help Killer and they left me alone so they could talk to each other in the back room. They weren't in bed. They were busy making plans, I think. By the time to go to work at the bar I was dragging. I hadn't been able to get caught up on my sleep. I saw Ralph on my way to work and waived at him. He motioned for me to come over and talk to him.
"Hi ya', Cookie."
"What say, Ralph?"
"Not much. How're ya doin'?" he said almost too causally.
"Fine. I'm on my way to work, uh...did you want me for something?"
"Well yes, I hear Toni is staying with you and Dick?"
"Yes..."
"I don't want to pry, Cookie, but why are you letting that trash stay with you? She only gets herself and those around her in trouble. I think you need to-"
"Hold on, Ralph! Toni is a fiend of mine, a good friend. Now you and I are friends too, but you can't tell me who I should like. If it hadn't been for Toni I don't know where I would be today. No, please don't talk bad about her to me."
"Take it easy, Cookie. I'm not trying to tell you who you can have for friends. I just want you to be aware of the fact that Toni attracts trouble like a magnet. I'm trying to look out for you."
"Ok thanks, I appreciate the thought. Sorry I jumped at you like that."
"Can't blame you, Cookie. I probably wouldn't like it if you tried to tell me what to do either."
"It's fresh. Was that it?"
"Yeah."
"You're not going to tell me where you've been the last couple of nights? I missed you." I told him sweetly. I was hoping I could make sure he would be at the bar when I got off so he could walk me home.
"Sounds like Dick hasn't been there either."
"Yea." I laughed. Ralph always saw right through me.
"I'll try to go around to the bar tonight and see if you've been deserted again or not. How have you been getting home?"
"Very fast--I've been running."
"You should, I've been noticing that cute little butt of yours has been growing a little."
"Ow!" I complained laughing. Ralph enjoyed teasing me about my rear end. I think he wanted to get close to me even though he was a dweeb and I was a CB. I don't know.
Most men just like to tease. They'll come on to some waitress like they were the world's biggest stud then when they meet a girl on the street they're afraid to tell her she's standing on ther foot. It's normal. We all do it. Women do the same thing around a waiter. You know he's not going to say something rude back to you, he'd at least lose his tip if not his job. You're safe to take a few liberties.
"I've been noticing that you've been noticing." I teased Ralph back as I turned around and wiggled by fanny.
"Alright citizen!" Ralph said as he grabbed my hand and twisted it behind me gently, "I believe I'll have to take you in. Resisting a pass and attempted flirtation!"
"Stop!" I told Ralph suddenly embarrassed. "We're making a scene."
He let go of me. "It's ok, Cookie. There's nobody around."
"Ummm. No, I gotta go. See ya' tonight?"
"I'll try. I didn't do anything did I?"
"No, it's just me Ralph. Bye." It hadn't been Ralph's fault. I had just been without a man for too long. All those noises I had been hearing coming from Dick's room for the previous two nights combined with Ralph's touch had been too much. I was horny. No two ways about it. Even Killer had excited me some. I wanted Sid back. I needed him.
There had still been no word on Sid getting an early release. The letters I got from him had been few and far in between. That wasn't Sid's fault--or Fred's. Fred was writing, I'm sure, but the police had been losing the letters. We probably had to write ten letters to get one through. That was damned sorry of the prison officials to do that. I'm sure they had a good excuse but I knew what the problem was: they didn't like helping a CB. Ass holes!
***
That night in the bar seemed to last forever. I was one happy girl when it was finally over. I had some guy grab me from behind and Mike had to come over and pry me loose before he could toss the guy out. I got upset and the next tray of drinks I brought out I spilled and I mean I had to spill them all over some people sitting at a table. It was terrible. I was tired, had a headache, and my monthly cramps were starting.
I was glad of two things; Dick was at the bar (that would mean I wouldn't have to run home, alone), and he hadn't seen me douse all those people.
Toni was with Dick. She had been in before. Usually she had a crowd around her but on this night she was paying all of her attention to Dick. They had become a 'number' to put it in Toni's terms. I was happy for him. He deserved some lovin'. Dick had been good to me.
I remembered what officer Ralph had said about Toni attracting trouble and my own feelings that she wouldn't be out of jail for long. I was thinking about that and in walked Killer. He went over and talked with Toni for a minute then went in the back room with Mike for a little while and left.
He waived at me as he was leaving and I waived back. I liked him. He had a good head on his shoulders. He looked good too, white hair, tall collar, boots, and all.
About an hour before quitting time Dick came over and said that he and Toni were going to a party. He asked me to come along but I bowed out saying I would be too tired. He wanted to know if it would be alright if he didn't hang around so he could walk me home. He knew Ralph tried to be there for me, most nights.
I hadn't said anything to Dick or Toni about my having to run home the previous few nights. Since I was sure Ralph would be by on that particular night I told Dick to go on and take Toni to ther party and to have a good time for me.
When it was time to get off there was no Ralph! I went out in the front of the bar and waited around for awhile. Everybody was leaving. Finally Mike came up to lock the front doors to the bar.
"What are you hanging around for, Coookie?"
"Ralph."
"Is he supposed to come tonight?"
"Yea, he said he would. I guess I'd better hang around for awhile and wait for him. I'll give him a few minutes."
"He's pretty good, for a cop, isn't he?"
"He's nice. We could use a few more like him, Mike."
"You didn't feel that way the first time you met him, did you?"
"Would you?"
"Nope. You watch him. He can be good and he can be bad."
"Aw, he's a pussycat."
"You didn't think like that when he had you in handcuffs. He's nice, like you say, but when he thinks you've broken the law you'd better watch out. You know how he feels about Killer don't you? He wishes Killer was dead! Now, I know you've got something cooked up with Killer for him to ask me to let you have some time off so I'm warning you to not let Ralph know anything about it. Don't even let Ralph know that you know Killer. 'Nuff said?"
"Enough said. Thanks for worrying about me."
"I can't help it, Cookie. You're a good kid. I'm glad to see that you are finally getting involved."
"Mike, what makes you think I'm getting involved--and involved in what?"
"You're doing something for Killer. It's got to be for the cause. It's about time."
"Mike! All I'm going to do is tran-"
"Stop! Don't tell me, Cookie. The fewer who know what's going on the better! You just go do a good job for Killer. Everything everybody does for the cause is important!"
I couldn't think of anything to say. Mike was so sure we CBs were going to revolt. He was a good man. It pained me to see him eaten up with all that revolt jazz. Soon we CBs would have a majority. If there was a revolution to be won we would be able to do it at the polls. I waited a few more minutes then left before Mike could really get started on telling me about how we CBs would take over.
I began walking home thinking about why I was even bothering to look at Killer's document. There was no need for all this subversion. Somehow I was getting caught in the middle. On one side I had Ralph encouraging me to keep my nose clean and on the other side I had Mike, Killer, and Toni wanting me to become a freedom fighter. I was thinking through all that when I heard footsteps behind me. I quickened my pace and the footsteps came faster. Panic broke out on me and I went into a dead run!
I heard a voice call out to me to stop. I had never heard that voice before. I had hoped that it was Ralph but it wasn't. I was on my block so I didn't have too far to go before I ducked into the door to the building my apartment was in. I ran up the two flights of stairs and had my key out trying to open my door. The footsteps were coming up the stairs! I heard the voice again. It said he was the police.
I didn't know what to do. If it was the police then I was in a little trouble for having run, trouble I might be able to talk my way out of. If it was someone just using that to get me to stop so they could mug me or whatever then I was in real trouble. I had just decided to play it safe and get inside my apartment and I was frantically trying to get the door unlocked when strong arms grabbed me and threw me to my knees.
I looked up and there was the ugliest cop I had ever seen. "Man, am I glad to see you."
He had his gun out and pointed at me. I sat up and raised my hands in submission.
"Up against the wall!"
I got up quickly and leaned against the wall and assumed the position that I knew he wanted me in.
"You're pretty good at that. You must get in trouble with the police a lot!"
"I'm a CB, officer."
"Oh, and you think that since you're a CB the police pick on you too much."
"I didn't mean to say that, officer."
He was panting from the short run we had had. His gun was pressed into the back of my head.
"Why'd you run, CB?"
"It's dark, I was afraid. I thought you might have been in some gang or something."
"Didn't you hear me tell you that I was the police?"
"I heard you shouting, officer, but I couldn't tell what you were saying? I panicked."
"I ain't buying it, bitch. Put your hands behind you--you'll be spending the night in the poky!"
I don't know where it came from but I got mad. Why was this fool telling me that he was going to lock me up? All I had done was go to work and try to get home. I was suddenly fuming.
I put my hands behind me and I was rewarded by having handcuffs locked around my wrists. This guy was really abusing me. He put them on tighter than I had ever felt before.
"Ow! You're hurting me!"
"Don't you know that's what we cops do to CBs!"
He began searching me. He was feeling around like he owned me. I could tell when he found the chain set I was wearing around my waist under my 'street' clothes.
He got real upset. "What are you trying to hide here?"
"I work in a bar. It's just my waitress outfit!"
"Spread 'em!" he told me. I spread my feet. As usual I was kicked on my ankles. I don't know what made it special. Maybe it was the way the hard edge on the sole of his shoe came into contact with my ankle or maybe it was the force that he put behind it and made it hurt so much or maybe it was because I was already mad or maybe I was tired of being pushed around or maybe it was because I didn't think it was ok to treat someone like that just because they were a CB and couldn't help it. I don't know. Whatever it was I turned around and kicked that SOB in his shin just as hard as I could with my tennie.
It felt good! I could suddenly understand why Mike was so enthused about the revolution that was coming. It feels good to fight back. What's that saying about revenge being sweet?
Of course the sweetness didn't last too long. As soon as the cop recovered he threw me face down on the floor and sat on me. The gun was at my head again. He was swearing profusely. I wanted to fight some more but that gun at my head made me decide that I had better save that for another day. He called for some backup on his radio. I knew I would get it when a whole gang of cops got there. They would probably beat me up. I had had cops slap me around before on two occasions when I had already been subdued.
I laid there tasting the dirt from the floor and feeling that gun pressed hard into the back of my head.
"You're gonna pay now!" the cop told me.
I didn't dare to move.
The whole book in zipfile format.
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